Almost two months ago, I decided to try a little personal experiment (because I love doing that kind of thing): on weekends, I put my phone away.
No notifications, no checking it "just for a second," no mindless scrolling.
At first, I thought it would be difficult (and it was). I had that silly anxiety of "what if someone texts me something important?" or "let me check the chat about this or that." But little by little, I realized something: absolutely nothing serious is happening. The world keeps turning, and you begin to reconnect with what really matters.
During these "offline" weekends, I managed to do a ton of things I'd been putting off for months:
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I painted the house, which my wife had been complaining about for, I think, about 5 months.
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I fixed a door that wouldn't close properly. I went out and got some oil and poured it on all the doors. They no longer make that "squeal" sound when they open.
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I fixed some lights in the closet that were flickering, and the light switch was also giving me problems.
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I finally taught my son to ride a bike (that moment is priceless!).
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I changed the water filter.
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I built some homemade equipment so my wife could do physical therapy with my son, who has Down syndrome.
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We cooked together several times.
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I cleaned the windows, which are both awkward and dangerous to clean (yes, the ones you always put off "for later, because the rain washes them away").
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And above all, I did more things together with my kids.
None of this is epic, but each completed task gave me real satisfaction.
I feel like the weekend has "substance" again, instead of being a blur of time wasted between apps and notifications.
After those weekends offline, even during the week I check my phone less.
And the strangest thing is that not only am I more productive, but I also feel calmer. I no longer feel "trapped" checking things every 20 minutes.
My brain relaxes, conversations at home become longer, and time seems to stretch a little more.
This may not be for everyone, but if you're reading this and lately feel like the days are slipping away while you scroll, I encourage you to try it.
Turn off your phone for a weekend. Do something with your hands. Finish that unfinished task.
When you do, you'll be surprised at how much you can recover just by disconnecting and reconnecting.